commentary and pics...coming soon. Update, almost there (22 Aug ’09)
The fabled underground car meet...pics coming soon. Update, almost there (22 Aug ’09)
Cartoons like the Jetsons portrayed to little children way back then how the future would look and work. The cartoon was a big hit and was accepted by children all over the world as they switched on the TV everyday to see the characters and pods buzzing around making them laugh and it kept them entertained.
I guess the Jetsons would have been the prime inspiration behind this creation. A single-seater electric vehicle that would bid farewell to gas prices and congestion. Displayed at Tokyo’s Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo held last month, Topia’s HUVO, received a lot of attention as curious onlookers wanted to know how the locomotive functioned.
A head-on collision at city speeds in this car would be scary but not fatal as the vehicle is built using aluminium and carbon fiber which are strong and versatile materials. At the rate at which car sales are going, rising congestion is not avoidable. The world is turning towards small cars but even then, there would be a point down the line, where cars would need be smaller and more efficient. Whenever that happens, people dealing with the HUVO will be the happiest bunch.
GM Asia-Pacific revealed today, for the Japanese market, the Corvette S-Limited, a 30 units limited edition priced at ¥7,980,000 ($75,475). The special edition Corvette is offered in two body colors: 15 units in Black and 15 in Arctic White.
The Corvette S-Limited features full leather-wrapped interior package, a rear spoiler and mesh grille-work.
The car will go on sale on July 4th and celebrates GM’s 100th anniversary.
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Nikko is a nice tourist spot, located in the rolling hills about two hours north of Tokyo. So, two hours and about 40 dollars later in tolls we find ourselves at one of Japans famous tourist cities. Among Nikko’s many popular sites is the intricate Toshogu temple and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Like so many unknowns here in Japan, Nikko is also host to many things that the usual passer by will never see. Not five minutes from the expressway we find the circuit. By 7 o’clock in the morning we are one of the last teams to arrive and are forced to set-up in the parking lot.
What I enjoy the most here is that this is no "Professional" event. Some are actual career racers, but for the most part you see people that do this as a hobby and obsession. Many are daily drivers, men and women, changing tires, last minute prep and race.
Now at this even there are three drift categories and one grip. The drift categories being split by power rating. Now the difference here is there is no real race. Each group starts as they hit the circuit and run untill their time is up. Moments later the next group goes out and so on. By the end of the day each category can expect to get four to five sessions in.
I must admit, up to now I have not been the biggest fan of drifting. I don’t really intend to sit down and watch it on TV like I would Le Mans, WRC ect. I have enjoyed watching the actual street drifting done in the mountains. Watching the it on a track has just never really turned me on. Until now, I think in this case it was the whole experience of seeing an entire field out there. Or seeing real people in real cars.
Now what really sold me was when I got to go for a ride!
Thought Japanese tuning companies can’t handle German vehicles? Well’ take a look at this Vw Jetta. Newing, a well respected Japanese tuner unveiled its customization programme for the Vw Jetta. With the new front lip spoiler, side sills and rear harf spoiler the company added a plus of sportivity to the vehicle.
In order to improve the stability of the car but also the handling, new suspension kit and 19” alloy wheels were added. Although the car is lowered with up to 35 mm, according to the tuner the comfort level remains the same. The bad news is that the kit is available only in Japan…
Subaru today announced the debut of its new Subaru EXIGA in Japan. The EXIGA went on sale nationwide through Subaru dealerships today.
Based on the concept of a seven-seater with panoramic visibility for the touring experience, the EXIGA has been developed to provide a safe and pleasant journey for all occupants. Capitalizing on its accumulated know-how from building wagons and crossover SUVs, Subaru has succeeded in creating open and comfortable interior space for all the passengers to easily engage in conversation and share the experience of touring enhanced by dramatic wide-angle views through the windows.
The new model represents Subaru’s latest proposal for a new type of multi-passenger vehicle, built on Subaru’s strengths in vehicle stability, low noise, and quality ride —all realized by Subaru’s Horizontally-Opposed engine layout and the Subaru Dynamic Chassis Control Concept (Subaru DC3).
The Exiga is being offered in four different versions: 2.0i is the basic model with selected standard equipment, priced in a more affordable range, 2.0i-L offers high quality finishes and expanded standard equipment, 2.0i-S is a sporty model with a naturally aspirated engine, featuring dynamic powerful styling and interior designs and 2.0GT is a grand touring car that combines potent powertrain performance with environmental considerations.
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Specialised in tuning Bentley luxury vehicles, the Japanese tuning company ASI unveiled today its new Tetsu GTR based on the Bentley Continental GT. The most weird thing on this new vehicle you will find the painted hood, not that it is something wrong with a painting on a hood but to paint flowers on a Bentley it is already too much.
Although the artwork is made by Nakamura Tetsuei we cannot agree with putting flowers on a $800,000 car, that’s right, the car is priced at $800,000 and will be manufactured in a limited edition of just 29 units. Beside the wide-body kit consisting in a dry carbon hood, trunk and rear spoiler, side skirts, rear bumper featuring a an air diffuser with integrated exhaust system, the vehicle features also the 6.0 litre W12 engine re-programmed in order to develop an astonishing 800 hp.
In order to celebrate the 3 million units sold in Japan, Suzuki launched a limited version of the Wagon R and Stingray. The new editions will feature new front grilles, incorporated foglamps, new side skirts, alcantara-covered seats, rearview mirrors featuring LED indicators and the same 660cc engine.
With these two new versions the Japanese manufacturer hopes to achieve even better sales and due to the prices of $10,500 for the 2WD Wagon R and $12,500 for the 4WD Stingray. The bad news is that the vehicles will be available exclusively on the Japanese market.
Honda will begin sales of a new compact minivan, named the Freed, in Japan on May 30, 2008. This new model fuses an easy-to-use and spacious cabin with stylish design. Special mobility assistive versions—Freed with side lift-up seat and Freed with passenger lift-up seat, also go on sale May 30, 2008—while a Freed wheelchair-accessible model will go on sale June 20, 2008.
Developed under the concept of "Freedom to create the perfect lifestyle," the Freed features Honda’s original low-floor and low-center-of-gravity technology, to achieve a compact body size that makes it easy to maneuver through city streets as well as a spacious cabin that enables adults to sit comfortably in all three rows. Honda developed this vehicle with the goal of creating a minivan that is comfortable and easy-to-use for every passenger and that offers new value by enabling customers to fully and freely utilize this vehicle in activities that meet individual lifestyles ranging from daily transportation to leisure time trips.
Three different versions are offered: the first seven-passenger vehicle in its class featuring captain’s seats in the second row; the first eight-passenger vehicle in its class; and a five-passenger type which offers a large, best-in-class cargo space. Moreover, for the first time in a registration-class Honda vehicle, wheelchair-accessible models are offered in addition to versions with a side lift-up seat and passenger lift-up seat. With the addition of these mobility assistive models, Honda positions Freed as a vehicle which fulfills the diverse needs of a wide range of customers.
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